Speak Now
by khaleesimaka
Summary: Their relationship was never steady. They had ended things because of complications that came up in their life. Now that one of them is getting married, will the other find the courage to speak up at their wedding?


**A/N: This was originally part of my one shot collection, but since it is taking longer for me to write pt 2, I made it it's own fic. The next part will come soon, I've just been busy lately with writing a long fic for Resbang.**

**Speak Now pt 1**

The first time she ever saw him, it was their third year in college, and he was working in the coffee shop on campus. The memory of him had remained crisp and fresh in her mind as the years passed since that fateful day.

Standing in line at the coffee shop, and she couldn't remember what had drawn her to him. She was in so close to him that she could distinctly smell the cinnamon, and leather wafting off him; the smell was alluring as it invaded her senses.

Even more alluring than his smell, was the way he looked.. She had never seen anyone with snowy locks or crimson eyes, and when he spoke, his voice wrapped around her body like silk. Goosebumps crawled up her skin, it was so sensual, and his mouth carved each syllable in it's own unique way, lingering on a certain letter as he drawled it out.

All of her senses were so wrapped up in _him_, that she hadn't heard a word he said to her.

She mentally shook herself from the stupor, trying to focus on his words, but realized he was waiting for her to speak. She bit down her lip. The thoughts that had been running through her head were bad enough, and now she had to admit that she wasn't listening to him before.

"I'm sorry, I didn't catch any of that." She rolled her bottom along her teeth as she paused. "Could you repeat it, please?"

The man sighed, his droopy eyes making him appear to be even more bored. "I asked what would you like. Ya know, the most simplest question someone who works in my position could ask."

"Oh, right. Of course." How idiotic could she be that she hadn't thought of that. Looking up at the menu she quickly scanned it for a drink that appealed to her taste buds. "Can I have a tall vanilla latte, please?"

He grabbed a cup, wrote down her order, and told her how much it was without another word. As she stood waiting for her drink, once again she observed his movements. His hands moved fluidly like clockwork as they grabbed a cup and wrote down the name each customer gave him. He didn't seem bother by anything; his droopy eyes were bored with everyone, and besides the occasional grunt, he didn't say much.

He didn't appear to notice when the younger girls behind her had tried to flirt nor did he do anything when a customer overreacted to them not having decaf; his only reaction to both incidents was an eye roll. Whoever this man was, Maka was determined to find out, and possibly — hopefully — get to know him while doing so.

Her mission started off rocky because the mysterious man blew off every one of her attempts at small talk; she would ask him about the weather, and he would respond with either a smartass retort or ignore her. After several weeks of this, she grew tired of him as well as the vanilla lattes. If the man wasn't going to put in his half of the effort, then she was going to stop trying. She stopped going to the little coffee shop altogether after her final failed attempt of getting to know him.

It was several weeks later when she saw him again; it was at a party one of her friends was throwing. Her first hint that he had been lured there beyond his will, was the fact that he was with Blake. Her second hint was the fact that he remained stationed either near the wall or the punchbowl. He didn't bother to speak with anyone, and if someone did try to include him in the party, he would only brush them off. Maka should have known he wasn't the type of man to associate with; in fact, she should have stayed away from him like she had promised herself earlier. However, Maka didn't keep with such promises as she found herself standing next to him about an hour later.

"Hey," she said as she attempted to make some sort of small talk. _Maybe mystery man here will actually try to communicate with me_, she thought.

"Hey," came his drawled out response.

She gave him a quick once over before saying anything else, sizing him up in order to see if his cool guy demeanor was an act or not. He did fit the part with his black leather jacket, and dark wash blue jeans, but there was something about him that told her it wasn't him. It could have been the way he was leaning against the wall — putting too much effort into appearing cool — or the way he held his drink similar to a proper boy in England.

The most peculiar thing about him, though, was his hair. When he worked in the coffee shop, he wore it gelled up with subtle spikes that reminded her of a porcupine. However, now he didn't have any gel in it. His bangs swept in front of his eyes while the top of his head was fluffed out. Maka dared to call him cute, and it was further indication that he was not the refined man he was pretending to be.

Whoever this man was, he most definitely was not the type of person he was pretending to be.

"So, you work in the coffee shop on campus?"

"Yeah, so? You want free coffee or something?" If he was going to be a jackass in order to get her off his case, she was_not_ going to fall for it this time.

"No. I can pay for my own coffee. I'm trying to break the ice with you, silly." She gave him one of her dazzling smiles that everyone loved, always a sure fire way when it came to making friends.

"Well, stop. You're not exactly my type, and I didn't come here to make friends."

Apparently it didn't work with this guy.

Maka pushed herself off the wall, stood in front of him, and crossed her arms. "I don't know who you think you are exactly, but I've been nice to you since the first time I saw you. But every single time, you blew me off like you don't give a fuck! I'm not buying into this cool guy act you're trying to fool everyone else with, so why don't you just _drop it_!?"

She had him trapped as his mouth fell open to create a perfect 'o', and his shoulders hunched over a little. Maybe no one else had ever fronted him out like that before so it was surprising coming from her, or maybe he was surprised someone, a total stranger nonetheless, could see right through him. Either way, she had him stumped, and Maka felt a little flicker of pride in her stomach.

Quickly throwing himself back into the cool guy persona, the man snapped his mouth closed and straightened his back. She noticed he was taller than her as he pushed himself off the wall and stood up to his full height. However, she was not going to let this man intimidate her. She would hold her ground and show _him _that she was stronger than he thought she was.

"Who do you think you are trying to pretend like you know me? You don't know me," his eyes drew down her body then back up, "_tiny tits_ so don't pretend like you do."

The old ridicule stabbed her like an icicle falling on a cold winter's day, but she refused to budge. He wasn't going to win that easily, and especially not with a low blow name such as that. Balling her hands into a single fist, she took one step forward and gave him what she hoped was a ferocious glare.

"Where do you get off calling me a name like that!? Last I checked, you don't know me either! You are such a jackass, you know that!?"

She waited for him to respond to her words, or at least show any indication that she made an impact, but there was nothing. He only stood there staring at her like she was an idiot. What the hell was this guy's problem?

Maka didn't have to wait long as the man let out a burst of laughter, making him drop his drink in the process as he clutched at his stomach. She felt a few drops splatter on her legs, but didn't bother to scold him for it. This man — this complete stranger was _laughing _at her. He was actually laughing! She came up short as she tried to remember if anything she had said was funny. It ticked her off that she couldn't find a reason behind his amusement. She held back the urge to kick him in the knee or the groin due to how pissed off she was.

After several minutes of him holding his stomach, Maka had enough.

"What the hell is so funny?"

It was another couple minutes before he actually filled her in on what so humorous about their exchange. As his laughter died down — and he wiped a few tears from his eyes — he straightened up and stuffed his hands down in his pockets.

"There is absolutely nothing scary about you, you know? You're more like a small chihuahua trying to scare a dog twice it's size. It's cute." He offered her his hand. "I'm Soul, by the way."

Was he actually trying to be friends with her now? After calling her 'tiny tits' — and laughing at her — he was actually trying to make up with her?

She must have hesitated a little too long because he added, "don't worry. I won't bite you… unless you ask me to." He smirked, and for the first time she noticed his teeth. Unlike hers, they were razor sharp, and looked like they could rip through her flesh if he wanted.

For some odd reason, her mind played with the thought of those teeth grazing her skin, and a small flame began to burn in the pit of her stomach.

"Maka," she said as she took his hand. Maybe she could give this man another chance even after he ridiculed and laughed at her. He _did_ try to make up for it by giving her his name, right? Plus, Maka Albarn always gave people a second chance, no matter how much they fucked up the first time.

As the weeks went by, their friendship slowly began to blossom, and soon the pair was almost inseparable. Maka learned that he was a music major at Death City University, and she shared with him that she was an English major. Where he was quiet and kept to himself, she enjoyed talking and getting to know others. He preferred to listen to Miles Davis over Avicii, and she preferred Avicii over Miles Davis any day. His favorite type of movies were Academy Award winning ones while she enjoyed watching a good romantic comedy or horror movie. He didn't have a passion for reading while she very much loved to read. He dressed in leather jackets and band shirts while she dressed in flowery tops and skirts.

Soul and Maka were complete opposites that people assumed would never work out, but somehow, through those differences, they fit _together_. It was Soul's differences that made Maka fall in love with him. He was snarky and came off as cold when they were in public, but when they were together in his apartment, he would cuddle up to her without her having to say anything. When they were out in public, he would subtly brush his hand against hers, letting Maka know that he wanted to hold it, and she would automatically take it. Soul was not the tough guy everyone seemed to believe he was; underneath his cold exterior there laid a man who wanted to be loved.

That was probably one of the reasons why their friendship took a turn down couple city. It wasn't intentional that they had fallen in love with each other; if anything, it was by pure accident.

One day, they were sitting far too close to each other to be considered friends in his apartment, watching one of her favorite romantic comedies. She leaned her head on his shoulder as he draped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her in closer to his chest. Maka felt safe and warm as she cuddled against him, and the spark in her stomach was slowly becoming a flame she couldn't control. For the past few weeks, she knew she had fallen in love with Soul, but somehow she also knew he didn't feel the same way about her.

She wasn't like the other girls who fawned and threw themselves all over him, and threw themselves. She didn't have the biggest breasts or the largest ass. She was girly, but not as girly as those other girls. The other girls liked to wear makeup, and flirt with the boys while Maka preferred not to bother with much makeup, and rarely flirted with any boys. They were deemed as sweet and innocent while Maka was indeed sweet, she also had her problem side. She could never be as girly and sweet as those other girls nor did she have the desire to try to be. That was one of the reasons why she knew she wasn't the perfect fit for Soul. He belonged with one of those sweet girls; not a girl who could blow her fuse any minute.

"Maka?"

Soul's voice distracted Maka from her thoughts as it came flowing into her ear. It was still as sensual as when she first saw him, but there was a new husky feeling to it that made the goosebumps turn into small shots of electricity. She turned her head slightly to look up at him, and her heart immediately jolted in her chest. His deep crimson eyes were hooded over, and his lips glistened with saliva as his tongue flicked over them. Her fire quickly turned into a raging flame as it washed over her entire body.

"Hm?"

He let out a shaky breath as he said, "I love you."

Her heart jumped at his words, but her mind immediately rejected them.

"You don't mean that," she whispered.

Hurt flashed in his eyes, but he quickly recuperated. "I do mean it, Maka. I love you. I-I've loved you for a while now."

She lightly shook her head. "No, you don't."

"Yes, I do."

"Then prove it."

And he did.

Soul leaned down, and gently placed his lips over hers.

When she responded, the kiss was awkward, but she didn't care. Their noses bumped against each other, and their hands didn't know where they were meant to go. She grabbed onto his shirt, wrinkling the material in her grasp while his hand gently rested on the back of her head.

Even if it wasn't the best of first kisses, the electricity still shot through her body as his lips moved along hers. She tasted the butter from the popcorn when she opened her mouth slightly, and was more than positive he could taste the chocolate on hers. Everything about it was exhilarating and breathtaking, that she didn't care if it would be considered awkward to anyone else. It was perfect to her, and that was all that mattered.

"Do you believe me now?" he asked when they broke away.

She gave a small nod, and smiled.

She believed him now more than ever.

Their new found relationship soon flourished as the days turned to weeks, and the weeks into months. Every waking second, they spent it together. Maka found herself spending more time over at his apartment than she did in the dorm rooms. She loved that man, and he loved her.

It was apparent in everything he did to her.

It was in the way his hand would graze over her bare skin, leaving tingles in its wake on the nights they didn't spend sleeping. His kisses were sensual as he planted them along her neck and down to her breasts, little secrets that were only meant for her. His voice was like silk as he called out her name; every syllable a promise that he would cherish her forever. When he looked at her — his dark crimson eyes filled with lust and love — she knew he could be trusted with her heart. His panted breaths along her skin spoke of promises that they would be together forever. Every thrust was an unspoken promise of love, and she desperately needed more of it.

They were perfect together, and nothing could break them apart.

Their relationship lasted a brimming sixteen months before they were forced to separate.

Neither Soul nor Maka expected their paths to ever waver, so neither one spent too much time on the thought — they loved each other more than they had loved anyone else in their life. When Soul received the letter from his parents requesting he come back home immediately, both of them were devastated. Maka had been accepted to a graduate program on the other side of the country, so she couldn't go with him. Grad school was an opportunity she didn't want to miss.

There was only one option for them, and they both silently agreed upon it.

Soul went back home to West Virginia while Maka attended graduate school in California, and they would keep their relationship afloat by working through the long distance. There was never any doubt in Maka's mind that they could stay together when she said her last goodbye to him before boarding the plane. Their final kiss until they could see each other again told her all she needed to know; he loved her, she loved him, and they would remain together.

However, as time went on, they each found it more difficult to sustain their relationship.

It started with Maka not being able to answer his skype calls due to her having more assignments than she had originally anticipated. Maka's nights were soon filled with reading, essay writing, and grading that she didn't have time to talk to him. Her days were problematic since she was in class a majority of the time, and soon their skype calls became obsolete.

Then Soul's life became hectic once he found a job working as a teacher for a high school, and tutoring on the side. Their phone calls were the next form of contact to go followed by the texting. It grew to the point where they each knew what would happen next, but neither one wanted to be the first to say so.

One day, while Maka was hunched over looking through research papers for her dissertation, and listening to the Harry Potter soundtrack on youtube, she received a skype call. It took the person several calls until she finally noticed the small ringing playing through her headphones. Her heart gave a small thump as she read Soul's name on the screen, and she scrambled to answer it.

Upon seeing his face for the first time in months, she let out a shaky breath, and wanted nothing more than to fly on the next plane out so she could wrap herself up in his arms again. A year was far too long to be away from the person she loved most.

"Hey," she breathed out.

"Hey." He gave her a small smile, and Maka had a gut feeling that his 'hey' would not follow with good news. However, she ignored it, and hoped for the best. Soul loved her, she loved Soul, and that was all that mattered.

"I'm so sorry I haven't been able to skype, call, or text you. I've been swamped with school work it's not even funny. How are things are over there?"

Soul leaned back in his chair, and ran his hands through his hair. "Everything's good. Mom's still getting over Dad's death, and Wes is getting married soon to some famous cellist."

"That's great! Tell him I said congratulations."

"Will do." His smile grew somber, and his eyes glassed over as he stared at her. After a couple minutes he finally spoke again. "I really missed you, Maka, and I wish you were here."

"I miss you, too." Something was wrong. She heard it in his voice, and read it in his face. "Soul, what's wrong? Is everything okay?"

"Maka."

The way he said her name broke her heart, and every fiber in her body screamed at her to shut her laptop before he could say anything else. However, she remained stationary as she waited for his next words.

"I love you, you know I do, but… I don't think this long distance thing is going to work out between us. If you were here, maybe things would be different, but you aren't. If I could go over there, you know I would." Soul swallowed, and looked down, his bangs covering his eyes. "I'm sorry, but I think we need to call it quits."

Maka didn't know what to do.

She felt like screaming, and protesting, but nothing happened. Her heart was breaking, yet she couldn't do anything about it. The man she had fallen in love with was breaking up with her, and she couldn't do a damn thing about it. Soul remained looking down, and she hated it. She wanted to see his face; she wanted to read what he was feeling, but she knew her wish would go unanswered. There was nothing she could do to make him see that they could work things out. She was going to be in graduate school for another few years, and he had a full time job now. Neither one of them had time to travel in order to see the other, and their conversations had died out a long time ago.

It pained her to say it out loud, but she knew she had to.

"Okay." She hoped he didn't pick up on how shaky her voice sounded — a hint that she was breaking down on the inside. She didn't want to make this harder than it had to be. "I understand."

"Maka." He looked back up at her, and she could have sworn he was crying only moments before. Soul's eyes were redder than normal, and his cheeks were flushed, but even given his state, she didn't want to believe he was crying. How could someone who was breaking up with her, cry? Especially if they wanted to stay with her still, so she refused to believe he was. "I still love you, and I will always love you."

_Lies_, she thought.

She wanted to say it back, but her heart and mind wouldn't let her. Soul didn't deserve to know how much she loved him nor did he deserve to know how much his words had hurt her. For as long as his face remained watching her, she was not going to cry. She was Maka Albarn, and she could get through this.

"I think it's time to say goodbye," she said.

He gave a small nod as hurt crossed his face. "Yeah… I suppose you're right."

"Good bye, Soul."

"Good bye, Maka."

The screen blacked out, and Maka's world came crashing down around her. She pulled her legs up to her chest, burying her face between her knees, letting out the emotions she was holding back in front of him. It felt like someone had wrapped their hands around her heart, and was squeezing it for all she had left. She knew having her heart broken would hurt, but she hadn't expected it to hurt this much. She had honestly believed Soul was the one for her, and she had loved him with all her heart. If this was what love meant then she never wanted to experience it again.

There would only be one person that she loved, and his name was Soul Evans.


End file.
